Soto Ties Home Run Record as Statesmen Upended by Clarke in Friday Twinbill

Oskaloosa--The William Penn baseball team opened its final weekend of the year with two tight losses to Clarke in a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday.

WPU (16-26, 9-21 Heart) fell by scores of 5-2 and 3-2.  The losses unfortunately eliminate the navy and gold from postseason contention.  William Penn will wrap up its 2025 campaign Saturday by hosting Clarke for one final league twinbill at 1 p.m. for Senior Day.

The Statesmen, who were outhit 8-7 in the opener, gave up a run to the Pride (21-26, 12-18 Heart) in the top of the first and continued to sit in the proverbial rearview until the bottom of the fourth.

In the fourth, Bradley Soto (Jr., Davenport, Fla., Business Management) launched a shot over the right field fence, tying Bill Holman (1992) for the single-season school record for home runs with 17.

Carlos Herrera (Jr., Bronx, N.Y., Kinesiology) then singled in Zach Otten (Sr., Mapleton, Ill., Business Management) to make it 2-1 in favor of the hosts.

Unfortunately, CU closed strong, rallying with two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to claim the day's first contest.

William Penn had other scoring opportunities, headlined by loading the bases with no outs in the first inning, but came up empty.

Soto paced the offense with two hits, while Otten had a base knock in addition to a walk.

Abel Madueno (Sr., San Bernardino, Calif., Business Management) struck out 10 (two walks) in a complete game effort.

Clarke also recorded the first runs of the nightcap with two in the second frame, while the navy and gold got one back in the fourth on Otten's single that plated Soto.

The Pride returned the favor in the top of the fifth and clung to their 3-1 edge until the final half inning.  WPU made it more than a little interesting, though, by putting the tying run on base after back-to-back singles led off the inning.

Pinch-hitter Leland Riley II (So., Victorville, Calif., Kinesiology) eventually hit a sacrifice fly that drove in pinch-runner Logan Bialek (Jr., South Elgin, Ill., Exercise Science).  The Statesmen unfortunately failed to bring home their third run as they were swept to open the weekend series.

Otten managed a 2-for-3 showing, while William Penn lost the hits battle 7-4.  Soto also drew a pair of walks.

Dreyton LaVeine (Sr., West Burlington, Iowa, Sociology) delivered a strong outing on the mound, striking out six without a base on balls as he pitched all seven frames.